Habitat integrity drives Odonata diversity in Eucalyptus-dominated landscape

Abstract The structure and growth of northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis) was studied in 16 stands on wet sites in Vermont. White cedar and associate species representing the range in diameter were felled for stem analysis. Height growth curves were constructed. Structure of white cedar stands on wet sites in Vermont is often even-aged with a relatively uniform canopy due to restocking of former agricultural land, or two-aged, or multiaged, depending on degree of harvesting and other disturbances. On bog and swamp sites, cedar may reach less than 25 ft in height in 50 years whereas on upland sites wet only a portion of the growing season, they may reach 50 ft or greater in height. On well-drained upland sites, height growth may be greater, but cedar most likely may be displaced by other conifers and hardwoods. Basal area in pure and well-stocked maturing stands may exceed 300 ft2, and volumes can exceed 12,000 ft3/ac. In high-density stands, there is usually little understory. Very small amounts of cedar regeneration were observed in the stands studied. Some of the stands had a distinct browse line, and deer are presumed to have a major impact on cedar regeneration. All cedar stands are recognized as being of great importance as deer wintering areas. On the low-quality swamp and bog sites, minimal and careful harvest of cedar should be done to maintain deer habitat, integrity of the tree canopy, and associated understory vegetation. On sites with less water restrictions than in swamps and bogs, harvesting practices to maintain wildlife habitat and assure regeneration and thinning and pruning to improve growth rate and value of harvested wood should be considered. North. J. Appl. For. 21(4):173–179.

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The habitat integrity index and aquatic insect communities in tropical streams: A meta-analysis

Ecological Indicators ◽

10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106495 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 116 ◽

pp. 106495 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Leandro Schlemmer Brasil ◽

Edgar Luiz de Lima ◽

Zander Augusto Spigoloni ◽

Danielle Regina Gomes Ribeiro-Brasil ◽

Leandro Juen

Keyword(s):

Meta Analysis ◽

Aquatic Insect ◽

Tropical Streams ◽

Insect Communities ◽

Habitat Integrity ◽

Integrity Index

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Influence of biotic and abiotic factors on adult Odonata (Insecta) in Amazon streams

Animal Biology ◽

10.1163/15707563-bja10047 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 71 (1) ◽

pp. 67-84

Author(s):

Lenize Batista Calvão ◽

Carina Kaory Sasahara de Paiva ◽

Joás da Silva Brito ◽

Ana Luisa Fares ◽

Calebe Maia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Environmental Changes ◽

Abiotic Factors ◽

Negative Relationship ◽

Aquatic Organisms ◽

Trophic Groups ◽

Predator Prey ◽

Structural Support ◽

Physiological Constraints ◽

Habitat Integrity ◽

Abiotic And Biotic Factors

Abstract Abiotic and biotic factors play an essential role in the structuring of natural communities. Aquatic ecosystems have complex interaction networks, encompassing predator/prey relationships and structural support. Among aquatic organisms, the order Odonata is a model group for understanding those relationships since they can be both predators and prey. Our hypotheses were that Zygoptera are (i) influenced positively by Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT) and the Habitat Integrity Index (HII), and negatively by fish and macrophytes; and (ii) Anisoptera are affected positively by EPT and macrophytes, and negatively by fish and HII. We found that Zygoptera were affected by the fish functional trophic groups, while Anisoptera were affected by macrophytes, EPT, fish and HII. Macrophytes affected anisopterans positively because they provide perching sites for adults. The results for EPT and HII may be related since these organisms are also sensitive to environmental changes. More open areas have lower HII values and the negative relationship with Anisoptera may be explained by physiological constraints. The negative relationship between EPT and Anisoptera could be explained by the low occurrence of EPT in open sites, which are the sites that were highly rich in Anisoptera. Finally, the dominance of specific functional trophic groups of fish influences Odonata suborders in different ways. In conclusion, the results show the importance of ecological interactions for Odonata in Amazonian streams in both direct and indirect ways.

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Defaunation as a trigger for the additional loss of plant species in fragmented landscapes: considerations on the state of Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil

Rodriguésia ◽

10.1590/2175-7860201768530 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 68 (5) ◽

pp. 2001-2017 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ana Carolina Srbek-Araujo ◽

Ariana Pignaton Gnocchi ◽

Lillian Jardim Guimarães ◽

James Joseph Roper

Keyword(s):

Species Diversity ◽

The State ◽

Southeastern Brazil ◽

Large Mammals ◽

Ecological Processes ◽

Espírito Santo ◽

Habitat Integrity ◽

Seed Dispersers ◽

Taxonomic Groups ◽

Espirito Santo

Abstract Here we present a brief review on how the loss of fauna can cause a concomitant loss in plant diversity in the state of Espírito Santo, focusing on the context of current habitat loss and fragmentation and the importance of the mutualistic interactions between animals and plants. We discuss the main groups of fauna that are involved in pollination and seed dispersal, especially those that are found in the state of Espírito Santo. These ecological processes were selected due to their relevance for population dynamics and population genetics of plants. In Atlantic Forest, important pollinators include a variety of insects (especially bees), along with many species of birds and bats. Seed dispersers also include many taxonomic groups, from ants to large mammals. Each of these groups contribute in their own unique and complementary, rather than redundant, way. Habitat fragmentation causes a variety of problems for habitat integrity and the reduction of species diversity, and smaller fragments tend to support fewer species and smaller populations. As a consequence, pollinators and seed dispersers are lost or their activity is reduced, thereby reducing even further the reproductive success of the plants, leading to a vicious cycle of reduction of species diversity.

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Acoustic sensors

10.1093/oso/9780198850243.003.0004 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 53-78

Author(s):

Anne-Sophie Crunchant ◽

Chanakya Dev Nakka ◽

Jason T. Isaacs ◽

Alex K. Piel

Keyword(s):

Species Conservation ◽

Acoustic Monitoring ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Acoustic Sensors ◽

Passive Acoustic Monitoring ◽

Acoustic Data ◽

Habitat Integrity ◽

Technological Advances ◽

Acoustic Space ◽

Passive Acoustic

Animals share acoustic space to communicate vocally. The employment of passive acoustic monitoring to establish a better understanding of acoustic communities has emerged as an important tool in assessing overall diversity and habitat integrity as well as informing species conservation strategies. This chapter aims to review how traditional and more emerging bioacoustic techniques can address conservation issues. Acoustic data can be used to estimate species occupancy, population abundance, and animal density. More broadly, biodiversity can be assessed via acoustic diversity indices, using the number of acoustically conspicuous species. Finally, changes to the local soundscape provide an early warning of habitat disturbance, including habitat loss and fragmentation. Like other emerging technologies, passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) benefits from an interdisciplinary collaboration between biologists, engineers, and bioinformaticians to develop detection algorithms for specific species that reduce time-consuming manual data mining. The chapter also describes different methods to process, visualize, and analyse acoustic data, from open source to commercial software. The technological advances in bioacoustics turning heavy, non-portable, and expensive hardware and labour and time-intensive methods for analysis into new small, movable, affordable, and automated systems, make acoustic sensors increasingly popular among conservation biologists for all taxa.

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Effects of a deep-sea mining experiment on seafloor microbial communities and functions after 26 years

Science Advances ◽

10.1126/sciadv.aaz5922 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (18) ◽

pp. eaaz5922 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

T. R. Vonnahme ◽

M. Molari ◽

F. Janssen ◽

F. Wenzhöfer ◽

M. Haeckel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Microbial Communities ◽

Microbial Activity ◽

Deep Sea ◽

Large Scale ◽

Ecological Integrity ◽

High Tech ◽

Environmental Standards ◽

Cell Numbers ◽

Habitat Integrity ◽

Nodule Mining

Future supplies of rare minerals for global industries with high-tech products may depend on deep-sea mining. However, environmental standards for seafloor integrity and recovery from environmental impacts are missing. We revisited the only midsize deep-sea disturbance and recolonization experiment carried out in 1989 in the Peru Basin nodule field to compare habitat integrity, remineralization rates, and carbon flow with undisturbed sites. Plough tracks were still visible, indicating sites where sediment was either removed or compacted. Locally, microbial activity was reduced up to fourfold in the affected areas. Microbial cell numbers were reduced by ~50% in fresh “tracks” and by <30% in the old tracks. Growth estimates suggest that microbially mediated biogeochemical functions need over 50 years to return to undisturbed levels. This study contributes to developing environmental standards for deep-sea mining while addressing limits to maintaining and recovering ecological integrity during large-scale nodule mining.

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Incorporating Established Conservation Networks into Freshwater Conservation Planning Results in More Workable Prioritizations

Frontiers in Environmental Science ◽

10.3389/fenvs.2020.515081 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Nicholas A. Sievert ◽

Craig P. Paukert ◽

Joanna B. Whittier

Keyword(s):

Conservation Planning ◽

Planning Process ◽

Decision Makers ◽

Systematic Conservation Planning ◽

Management Actions ◽

Habitat Integrity ◽

Conservation Actions ◽

Wadeable Streams ◽

Conservation Networks ◽

Blank Slate

Resources for addressing stream fish conservation issues are often limited and the stressors impacting fish continue to increase, so decision makers often rely on tools to prioritize locations for conservation actions. Because conservation networks already exist in many areas, incorporating these into the planning process can increase the ability of decision makers to carry out management actions. In this study we aim to identify priority areas within established networks to provide an approach which allows managers to focus efforts on the most valuable areas they control, while identifying areas outside of the network, which support species with minimal representation within the network, for acquisition or conservation partnerships. The goal of this approach is to prioritize sites to achieve high levels of species representation while also developing workable solutions. We applied a methodology incorporating established networks into a systematic conservation planning process for fish in temperate wadeable streams located in Missouri, USA. We compared how well species were represented in our approach with two commonly used alternatives: A blank slate approach which used the same systematic conservation planning technique but did not incorporate established networks, and a habitat integrity approach based solely on anthropogenic threat data. Relative to the blank slate approach, our approach required 210% more segments for representation of all species, and contained an average of 0.5 additional occurrences for the least well-represented species. Although the blank slate solution was more efficient in achieving species representation, 77% of segments in this solution were not already protected. This would likely pose a challenge for implementing conservation actions. Relative to habitat integrity-based priorities, our approach required only 38% of the number of stream segments to achieve representation of all species and contained an average of 5 additional occurrences of the least represented species, representing a substantial gain in representation. Incorporating established networks may allow managers to focus resources on areas with the greatest conservation value within established networks and to identify the most valuable areas complementary to the established networks, resulting in priorities which may be more actionable and effective than those developed by alternative approaches.

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Helminth parasite communities of two Physalaemus cuvieri Fitzinger, 1826 (Anura: Leiuperidae) populations under different conditions of habitat integrity in the Atlantic Rain Forest of Brazil

Brazilian Journal of Biology ◽

10.1590/1519-6984.03614 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 75 (4) ◽

pp. 963-968 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

A. Aguiar ◽

G. M. Toledo ◽

L. A. Anjos ◽

R. J. Silva

Keyword(s):

Rain Forest ◽

Helminth Fauna ◽

Atlantic Rain Forest ◽

Parasite Communities ◽

Selective Pressures ◽

Habitat Integrity ◽

Disturbed Area ◽

Importance Index ◽

Fauna Composition ◽

Two Populations

Abstract Adults of Physalaemus cuvieri were collected and necropsied between November 2009 and January 2010. This was carried out in order to report and compare the helminth fauna associated with two populations of this anuran species from the Brazilian Atlantic rain forest under different conditions of habitat integrity. The hosts from the disturbed area were parasitized with five helminth taxa: Cosmocerca parva, Aplectana sp., Physaloptera sp., Rhabdias sp., Oswaldocruzia subauricularis (Nematoda) and Polystoma cuvieri (Monogenea) while those from the preserved area had four helminth taxa: C. parva, Aplectana sp., Physaloptera sp., Rhabdias sp., and Acanthocephalus saopaulensis (Acanthocephala). Prevalence, mean intensity of infection, mean abundance, mean richness, importance index and dominance frequency of helminth component communities were similar in both areas. The helminth community associated with anurans from the disturbed area had higher diversity than that from the preserved area. This study is the first to report on the acanthocephalan parasites of Ph. cuvieri, and the similarity between helminth fauna composition of two host populations under different selective pressures.

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